Naruto, one of the most popular and influential manga and anime series of all time, is getting a live-action movie adaptation from Lionsgate, with Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton on board to write and direct.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by Lionsgate, who acquired the rights to the Naruto franchise in 2015.
Cretton will produce the movie along with Avi Arad, Ari Arad, and Emmy Yu of Arad Productions. He will also be collaborating with Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto, who will serve as a creative consultant on the project.
The director said that “it was a true honor to meet Kishimoto-san in Tokyo and hear his expansive vision for his creation.” He also mentioned that the two were “very excited to collaborate and bring ‘Naruto’ to the big screen.”
The manga follows the adventures of Naruto Uzumaki, a young, quirky and goofy boy whose dream is to become Hokage (the leader of his village called the Hidden Leaf) and the strongest ninja in the world. However, the boy bears a powerful nine-tailed demon fox that was sealed inside him when he was only an infant, making him an outcast among his peers.
The manga, which ran from 1999 to 2014, has sold over 250 million copies worldwide and has been translated into more than 60 languages. The anime consists of two series with over 700 episodes and has been broadcast in more than 100 countries.
The movie has no release date or cast details yet, but it is expected to be one of the most anticipated and ambitious projects in the genre. Fans are eagerly waiting to see who will play their favorite characters and how the movie will handle the complex and rich mythology of Naruto.
